In twilight’s grip, beneath the full moon’s silver white glow

Fevered dreams swirl, dancing in the night below

A kingdom unformed, yet burning bright

Hearts ablaze, no obstacle in sight

On a road paved with emeralds, diamonds and gold

Believing one would never grow old 

Infinite visions and determined delusions

All led to one finite conclusion

The air was thick with jasmine’s kiss 

Honeysuckle blooms in fragrant abyss

Sea grapes and oleanders, wild and free

Royal palms along the shimmering sea

To outsiders, a glimpse of paradise revealed

But hidden from view, the truth concealed

Sunsets once marveled, now shadows descend

Marking the time where the darkness begins

Waging war within depths of passion

Utterly wrong in terminal fashion

Pupils dilated from desire alone

Never knowing how this to own

Blind to the chaos that writhes within

Choking the life from grace, suffocated in sin

It’s not all hibiscus and waterfalls bright

There’s a blue heron caught in a serpent’s bite

Incomprehensible yearning to possess

Only once lived, can truly attest

A monolith’s weight in this decadent land

A brutal sacrifice on command

Evil lurks behind mansion walls 

A battle for power, where darkness calls

‘I’ll never have this’ thinking it bliss

You mourn in your ignorant innocence

Lament torn from envy, a cardinal sin 

Standing in the great hall, taking it all in

Foolish ideas born of pride and greed

What must you trade for your aching need

‘Welcome to the dark side’, thinking it a jest

I laughed, quickly taken over, dispossessed 

Now straddle the line, darkness and light

A losing battle, a pointless fight

A fairytale promise

A mirage in the mist

Desires were simple, a means to an end

Security, love and a loyal friend

Fear and secrets my only companions 

Morals, I swore I would never abandon

Assumptions made naive and blind

Never knowing the evil I would find

Satan in a Sunday hat, a smile so sweet

Conceals the darkness beneath deceit

No one is coming to save you 

They never were 

Confusion and fog, it’s all a spur

Little white lies fed to a child

Love and light so reviled

A mind too fragile to believe the truth

Still clinging to the hope of my youth

Lulled by ease and comfort's call

The worst addiction of them all

You danced in the dark, blind to the game

Chasing illusions that whispered your name

Frozen in place, no escape in sight

Gasping for breath, as life fades from light

The heart, a bruised and broken toy

Pumps venom thick, a morbid joy

The serpent swallowed, scales and all
A feast of sin, before the fall
Huddled against the wall, a fetal plea
Begging for sweet oblivion's decree

But anger stirs, a serpent's hiss
Resurrection's kiss, a venomous bliss
From head to tail, the poison drips
A toxic spell from blackened lips

The mind, a flickering candle's flame 

Reborn in spite, a wicked game

An endless stream of ammunition

A weapon forged in perdition

Now navigate this world, tainted and torn

Carrying the weight of a mind that is worn

Cavernous space where the hopeful heart did dwell

Now completely charred beneath a blackened hell

One small kindness cracks the hardened rhine

Memories of a boundless love given so divine

All the world is not filled with evil

There is love beneath a steeple

But take care, not all are the same

Now when you see him, you will know him by name